Anita Heiss's Blog, page 8

NAIDOC Week 2020: Always Was, Always Will Be

[image error]

The text below is direct from the official NAIDOC Website

Always Was, Always Will Be.

Always Was, Always Will Be. recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.

We are spiritually and culturally connected to this country.

This country was criss-crossed by generations of brilliant Nations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists.

Australia has the world’s oldest oral stories. The First Peoples engraved the world’s first maps, made the earliest paintings of ceremony and invented unique technologies. We built and engineered structures – structures on Earth – predating well-known sites such as the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge.

Our adaptation and intimate knowledge of Country enabled us to endure climate change, catastrophic droughts and rising sea levels.

Always Was, Always Will Be. acknowledges that hundreds of Nations and our cultures covered this continent. All were managing the land – the biggest estate on earth – to sustainably provide for their future.

Through ingenious land management systems like fire stick farming we transformed the harshest habitable continent into a land of bounty.

NAIDOC Week 2020 acknowledges and celebrates that our nation’s story didn’t begin with documented European contact whether in 1770 or 1606 – with the arrival of the Dutch on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula.

The very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations peoples.

Our coastal Nations watched and interacted with at least 36 contacts made by Europeans prior to 1770. Many of them resulting in the charting of the northern, western and southern coastlines – of our lands and our waters.

For us, this nation’s story began at the dawn of time.

NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country – a history which dates back thousands of generations.

It’s about seeing, hearing and learning the First Nations’ 65,000+ year history of this country – which is Australian history. We want all Australians to celebrate that we have the oldest continuing cultures on the planet and to recognise that our sovereignty was never ceded.

Always Was, Always Will Be.

Download the National NAIDOC Logo and other social media resources.

Previous Themes & Posters

Guest review: ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’

[image error]

Author: Pip Williams , Affirm Press (2020) Genre: Historical fiction

Reviewed by Laura Pettenuzzo

“Motherless and irrepressibly curious, Esme spends her childhood in the Scritporium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day, she sees a slip containing the word bondmaid flutter to the floor unclaimed. Esme seizes the word and hides it in an old wooden trunk that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young servant in the big house. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men. They help her make sense of the world.

Over time, Esme realizes that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings related to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. She begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.”

Since its release a few months ago, The Dictionary of Lost Words has popped up all over social media, and rightly so. It is a beautifully written novel that masterfully weaves Esme’s fictional story into a string of historical events: the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary, the women’s suffrage movement and the First World War.

The structure was an effective choice, allowing readers to travel quickly through time and Esme’s life, without missing a great deal of what had happened. Time jumps such as these aren’t always ideal, but Pip Williams executed them brilliantly, with each part of the novel aligning with the publication of a certain section of the dictionary. For example, Part 3, 1902-1907, Lap-Nywe.

Esme’s character developed along with the world, her views undergoing a radical shift as the suffragette movement intensified. As a young girl, when questioned as to why she wouldn’t aim to be an editor, she stated: “I’m a girl.” It was one of the male editors who challenged her assumption, asking, “Should that matter?”  When she first became aware of the suffragette movement, she wasn’t a staunch supporter, believing, as she told her friends, “I’m not at all like those women back there.” Through conversations with Lizzie, who criticized the feminist movement as benefiting only white, middle class woman, Esme became passionate about fighting for a world that recognized women from all walks of life, asserting that “we are not all struggling in the same way.” Eventually Esme began to feel as though her work on the Dictionary paled in comparison to the work of women openly campaigning for women’s rights. It was her family friend Ditte, who reminded her to “play a position you are good at, and let others play theirs.”    

One of Esme’s hands were burned when she reached into a fire to rescue a piece of paper containing the word “lily,” her mother’s name. The image of the “blackened shards of the word…stuck to [her] melted skin” foreshadowed the way that words would forever follow her, and she them. The scarred, wrinkled hand became a source of insecurity for Esme, as visible differences often do. She hated shaking hands because, as one character put it, she was afraid that others might flinch or visibly recoil. The inclusion of a physical “flaw” on a character who is morally good was a refreshing change from the traditional depiction of characters with visible differences as villains.

Only the last couple of chapters were set in Australia, but I was pleased to see the traditional custodians of the area (the Kaurna people) acknowledged, and recognized again in the Author’s Note.

My favourite line was probably Ditte’s advice to Esme after the start of the First World War:

“Stay busy – I cannot overstate the benefits of a busy day for an anxious mind or a lonely heart.”

Although The Dictionary of Lost Words is ostensibly a piece of historical fiction, its themes are as relevant today as they were a century ago. This book pays homage to the power of language to change our lives, and issues a rallying cry for gender equity. Get yourself a copy immediately, if you haven’t already.  

You can buy a copy of The Dictionary Of Lost Words from Readings here.

Laura (she/her) is a writer of short stories and book reviews. She lives on Wurundjeri land and is passionate about accessibility and mental health.

[image error]

Indigenous Literacy Day goes live around Australia

[image error]

YouTube Live Premiere
Wednesday 2 September at 12.30pm
on the Indigenous Literacy Foundation’s YouTube channel

On Wednesday 2 September, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) along with Ambassador Jessica Mauboy and long-time supporter Archie Roach invite all Australians to join their national, virtual Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations.

Kids and community members from Tiwi Islands and Jilkminggan in the Northern Territory and Bidyadanga in Western Australia share their stories and the value of language, and Cheryl Lardy reads Yu sabi densdensbad? (Can You Dance?) in Kriol.

ILF Ambassadors including Andy Griffiths, Shelley Ware, Alison Lester, Josh Pyke, Natalie Ahmat, Jared Thomas and Anita Heiss, co-patron June Oscar AO and long-time ILF supporter, Archie Roach, will also share their insights and stories of community engagement. And Jessica Mauboy will sing a stunning rendition of an 80s Australian favourite.

This 45-minute celebratory event will go live on YouTube at 12.30pm. The production is designed to be a highly visual event to inspire broader Australia about the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s first languages and why learning in language is important.

“At ILF we understand that early literacy is the cornerstone of success in education,’ says Karen Williams, Executive Director of ILF, “We understand that encouraging early literacy requires children and their parents to have access to books and that children need to see themselves in the stories they read. They need to see that their culture is cherished and their stories are celebrated by all Australians. We welcome everyone to join us for what we believe is an incredibly positive story, and one that all Australians should be part of.”

In previous years, this celebration has taken place at the Sydney Opera House with children from remote communities, local schools and ILF ambassadors and supporters. This year, due to COVID-19, it is open, for the first time, to everyone – Australia-wide.

The ILF in collaboration with the Sydney Opera House is also launching an Indigenous Literacy Day celebration designed for primary and early learners – children three to eleven years of age. This is a separate event, launching at 2pm on the Sydney Opera House YouTube channel.

The Foundation’s Indigenous Literacy Day YouTube events provide an opportunity to share and enlighten others of how positive, community-led engagement makes a difference.

The ILF is a charity of the book industry and focuses on 3 programs for remote children and their families: Book Buzz supports early literacy; Book Supply provides culturally relevant books and books translated in language; and Community Literacy Projects engages communities to write and illustrate their own books in their first language. Donations to the Foundation fund these programs to communities that need them most.

The Foundation is encouraging everyone to donate to the Foundation. Every $10 puts a book into the hands of a child in remote Australia. To donate go to ild.org.au

“Viva Energy Australia is proud to be the major sponsor of the 2020 Indigenous Literacy Day Premiere event, celebrating literacy and language.”

For further information or to arrange an interview, please call Debbie McInnes, DMCPRMEDIA, T: 0412 818 071 E: debbie@dmcpr.com.au or go to https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au

Tiddas from the page to the stage… a new writing journey

[image error]

With Sanja Simic and Nadine McDonald-Dowd as the journey began, January 2020.

I am now six months into my La Boite Theatre Company Artist in Residence, working on the adaption of my novel Tiddas for the stage. Many of you will remember the band the Tiddas who were a popular acapella band from 1990-2000. Tiddas is a term used nationally for your closest girlfriend, your BFF, your sistagirl. You can call your mother, daughter or aunt tidda as well. It’s an endearing, loving term for a woman who is special to you.

[image error]

For example, Sanja Simic, my Creative Producer from La Boite (pictured above), became a tidda of mine within literally minutes of our first meeting late in 2019. Sometimes we just click with like-minded, equally passionate creatives. Have you ever experienced that too?

[image error]

I am so incredibly lucky to be working with dramaturg Nadine McDonald-Dowd (pictured above), Executive Producer at QPAC (and tidda of 19 years). Together we are on bringing to life the values and experiences of my  Wiradjuri characters and their non-Indigenous friends from Mudgee, who over the course of their early 20s find themselves blanketed in jacaranda trees in Brisbane. Nadine has an energy I’ve never experienced before, and her enthusiasm for this project is infectious.

[image error]

Writing “TIDDAS the play” is a significant moment in my writing journey, which has been inspired by strong, phenomenal women including the late Oodgeroo Noonuccal (We Are Going, 1064), Ruby Langford-Ginibi , (Don’t Take Your Love to Town, 1988) and of course, Doris Pilkington Garimara who’s Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence (UQP, 1996) was turned into the film Rabbit Proof Fence in 2001, opening up the stories of the Stolen Generations to an international audience. All of these extraordinary Aboriginal women left significant legacies, for all, but they especially influenced me and my writing.

[image error]

Thank you to Justine Clarke, Shari Sebbens, Colin Kincella and Kylie Bracknell for being reading the first draft of TIDDAS via zoom last week.

To me, TIDDAS the play is about more than friendship, it is about considering the challenges of contemporary sistahood. It explores the emotional, personal, and professional journeys of five women, best friends for decades, who meet once a month to talk about books … and life, family, careers and the messy bits in between. Together they dissect each other’s lives and loves, and in doing so they are brutally honest, and so the challenge is how to keep their love unconditional and their friendships intact. And as we see through their experiences, and as we know ourselves in real life, it isn’t always easy.

I need to stress that TIDDAS is not autobiographical – but of course as writers we bring something of ourselves to the page through dialogue through our character’s personalities and so forth. My hope is that women who read the novel and who see the play, connect with one or more of the characters, that they see themselves in both strengths and the flaws of the women I’ve portrayed.

[image error]

Thank you to Veronica Neave, Chenoa Deema and Shakira Clanton for the second reading of the play last week.

So, who are the tiddas, and who do you relate to?

Veronica, recently divorced and dedicated to raising the best sons in the world, has lost her own sense of identity and has no self-esteem. She lives in The Gap and is a proud Reconciliationist, and hates conflict.

Izzy lives in West End and is soon to be the first Black woman with her own television show, but she has to make a decision that will change everything. Okay, this is not autobiographical, but I did want to be Australia’s Oprah a few years ago.

Xanthe lives in Paddington, has a Greek father and Wiradjuri mother. She is an entrepreneur, desperate for a baby, and can think of nothing else, even at the expense of her marriage.Ellen lives in Kangaroo Point, she is footloose by choice, and after a period of reno-dating (dating her renovators), she begins to question all that she’s fought for.

Nadine lives in Upper Brookfield, is non-Indigenous and married to Izzy’s brother, and so successful at writing other people’s stories, she is determined to blot out her own. She is an alcoholic, because Aboriginal people do not have the monolopy on substance abuse.

[image error]

I am truly excited about being able to bring these characters, their lives and their friendships to life on stage, because I want to see theatre with Aboriginal women as strong, sassy, educated, intelligent, capable, funny and entertaining women. Not just women as survivors of trauma, but women in control of our destinies, with our own dreams and aspirations. Women who are driving forces in the arts, in education, in business and the community at large. I feel like the stories of those woman get lost in the often-voyeuristic representations of Aboriginal people as victims. I want TIDDAS the play to redress that imbalance.

And to be able to work on alongside and learn from the extraordinary women like my  Nadine and Sanja, is both a privilege and honour. But it is also quite daunting. They are at the top of their fields, and I am not yet even on the field. Both women are incredibly generous of spirit and gentle in their feedback when they hear a quiver in my voice that may at times suggest that I do not take constructive feedback that well – this is not true. I love the editorial process but it is different in theatre. In publishing the feedback is on the page, in theatre the feedback is to your face, on the spot. Whoa!

But most of all  I love being part of a powerful team of women who can contribute something together to the Australian cultural landscape. And that is something to be incredibly grateful for.

[image error]

Guest review: BELOW DECK by Sophie Hardcastle

BELOW DECK by Sophie Hardcastle  (A&U. March 2020. Literary fiction). Reviewed Laura Pettenuzzo. 

[image error]“Twenty-one-year-old Olivia hears the world in colour, but her life is mottled grey. Estranged from her parents, and living with her grandfather who is drowning in sadness, Oli faces the reality of life beyond university alone.

When she wakes on a boat with no recollection of how she got there, she accepts the help of two strangers who change the course of her future forever. With Mac and Maggie, Oli learns to navigate a life upon the ocean and the world flowers into colours she’s never seen before.

Four years later, Oli, fluent in the language of the sea, is the only woman among men on a yacht delivery from Noumea to Auckland. In the darkness below deck, she learns that at sea, no one can hear you scream.”

Everything about this novel is breathtaking, from the cover to the majesty of the prose and the magic of the characters. Divided into three distinct parts, Below Deck takes us deep into Olivia’s (Oli) world.

There are several characters who experience the world in ways that are not quite typical. There is Oli, who “hears the world in colour,” and Maggie, who shares her synesthesia. Maggie is also blind, which was clear to me (and likely would be to most readers) immediately. The fact that Olivia takes some time to realise it is perhaps a reflection of her lack of interaction with the disabled community, and how often such characters are delegated to the periphery of our fictitious narratives as well as our everyday lives. Not so with Maggie, who remains an important part of Oli’s life even as they live in different countries, who sees Oli clearer than Oli’s own mother ever has. In the third part of the novel, there is Brooke, who has a “scar stretching from the corner of her lip to her eye,” put there by a man. But Brooke, like the others on that Antarctic expedition, is not made small. As Oli reflects, “All of our bodies are scarred. But a scar is the way the body becomes whole again. It’s evidence that we survived.” In the ocean, Oli was brutalized and a part of her was taken and, later, in the ocean she reclaims herself.

I devoured this novel in the space of several hours, compelled to finish Oli’s story, desperate to absorb Sophie Hardcastle’s outstanding words. To review a work like this feels in fact like an act of disrespect. ‘Review’ carries with it connotations of the critical, and there is nothing about Below Deck that lends itself to critique. I sat on my bed for several minutes after having turned the final page. I was conscious of sitting with something sacred, of feeling reluctant to break the spell of Olivia’s world and return to my own.

For every act of cruelty in the novel, there is a moment of kindness: there is a juxtaposition of characters against one another. There is selfish Adam, misogynistic AJ, and then there is gentle, climate conscious Hugo, who is prepared to learn from the women in his life and from his own mistakes. There are Oli’s distant, disapproving parents, and there are Mac and Maggie, who give Oli their love and friendship without expectation. There is agony, and there is joy, too.  There is hope.

Below Deck is at once a condemnation of toxic masculinity and a celebration of female strength.

You can buy Below Deck from Readings here.

Laura (she/her) is a writer of short stories and book reviews. She lives on Wurundjeri land and is passionate about accessibility and mental health.

#ShareTheMicNowAustralia

[image error]When Sheree Commerford and I were paired together for the #sharethemicnowaustralia campaign, we looked at each other’s profiles and thought ‘what do we possibly have in common’.

I looked at Sheree’s page and thought, ‘What the hell? Look at that amazing hair! They’ve paired me with Farah Fawcett’s grand-daughter. I’m a single, childless, menopausal Black woman born in Matto and will always be a suburban girl. And Sheree is a seriously hot Northern-beaches-mum, who lives a Rockstar lifestyle. I saw the words Chanel and Ferragamo on her page, scanned her photos of harbour life, and pretended I wasn’t a tad jealous of that lifestyle. I wasn’t sure Sheree would be happy she’d been paired with me.’

Sheree looked at my page and thought: “Straight away the name put my lacking in education inferiority complex on high alert. Dr Anita Heiss. Dr!! I didn’t even go to university and she has a doctorate. She is a professor for God’s sake. Then I look her up and she is this sexy, jet setting, over achieving social justice superhero, and I’m like ummmmm… tracksuits, school drop off and pick-ups in the least culturally diverse suburb in Sydney, with a “blog” as a literary achievement. She sure did draw the short straw.”

The thing is, both of us were imagining the other based on bios and pics, and what potentially made us different, instead of what made us the same.

But it was our shared love of Yamba, our lives with Catholic mothers, and discussing the pros and cons of men (Sheree has promised to find Anita a husband) where we found our common ground. Our commitment to #amplifyaboriginalvoices then cemented our friendship within hours of our introduction thanks to @Tara_June_Winch. And it is that commitment that will keep us working together into the future.

Our goals are those of the organisers of the original #sharethemicnow movement in the US – Endeavor chief marketing officer Bozoma Saint John, author/podcast host Luvvie Ajayi Jones, author/Together Rising founder Glennon Doyle, and alice + olivia founder Stacey Bendet-

To form a social media campaign that magnifies Black women’s lives and stories.
To form relationships among Black women and white women – so that our future activism is born from relationships.
To create a network of disruptors who grow and trust each other.
To create action that could make change.

We believe our partnership here with @sharethemicnowaustralia has made a small dent in those goals, but we will continue to work together so that more Aboriginal voices are heard, not only on Instagram but on all platforms.

Our CALL TO ACTION today is for you to make a commitment on your own socmed platforms, your workplaces, your community groups, schools, colleges, families.

We want you to create action that can make change too.

Let us know what you do, and how you do it. Share your stories of success with others.

Share your mics – whatever form they take.

Our role was small, but from little things big things grow.

Thank you doing for this with us.

Anita and Sheree

Guest review: TOP END GIRL

[image error]

Top End Girl was written by Miranda Tapsell Published by Hachette. Reviewed by Rebecca Harcourt. You can purchase yours from Gleebooks. and Booktopia.

As you can see from the curves of the pages of my copy (above),  Top End Girl has filled me with such joy. As she does on screen, on stage,  on radio and in person Miranda invites the reader into a warm bubble of generosity, pride, joy, resilience, truth telling and camaraderie. She invokes an optimism a call to us all to learn, distil, understand and make changes where First Nations people, families and communities are quite rightly honoured  and celebrated.

Miranda’s  joy de vivre lights up the page as she reveals her guts and determination to be up on stage and screen to create her award winning  rom com film Top End Wedding, whilst falling in love in real life. The antics with family, friends, her new love now husband and acting peers across her travels luminate as she intimately shares the poignant relationships and key protocols we can adopt for the benefit of us all.

You can literally hear the chosen soundtracks to Miranda’s life playing as she effortlessly shares the depths of battles and hard fought determination she, and others before her, have brought to create more platforms including in the main stream, where First Nations people and lives are central, seen, heard and keenly in key creative decision maker roles to shape and portray each of their own lives, stories and dreams.

An absolute turn pager, I laughed, cried, smiled as I read, soaking up every twist and turn such a gift to us all, this book will make your heart sing.

Reviewed by Becky Harcourt, a passionate ally, facilitator, writer, ISO Dancer, connector, avid reader, always learning. You can follow Becky on Twitter: @BecHarcourt, Instagram @BeckyHarcourt & Linkedin – Rebecca Harcourt

[image error]

Guest review: The Year the Maps Changed

[image error]The Year the Maps Changed was written by Danielle Binks Published by

Hachette Australia (2020).  Historical fiction (for a middle grade readership).

Reviewed by Laura Pettenuzzo. Laura (she/her) is a writer of short stories and book reviews and is working on several novels with themes of mental health and family. She is living on Wurundjeri land. You can read her book reviews here and follow her on Twitter here.”

***

“Sorrento, Victoria, 1999. Fred’s family is a mess. Her mother died when she was six and she’s been raised by her Pop and adoptive father, Luca, ever since. But now Pop’s had to go away, and Luca’s girlfriend Anika and her son have moved in. More and more it feels like a land-grab for family and Fred is the one being left off the map.

Even as things feel like they’re spinning out of control for Fred, a crisis from the other side of the world comes crashing in. When a group of Kosovar-Albanian refugees are brought to a government ‘safe haven’ not far from Sorrento, their fate becomes intertwined with the lives of Fred and her family in ways that no one could have expected.”

Danielle Binks was one of the first names I heard when I dived into the Australian literary landscape a few years ago, and her eagerly anticipated first novel was as exquisite as I’d been expecting.

Although I’ve lived in Australia for my whole life, there’s so much about our history that I just don’t know. Usually, I’m trying to rectify the gaps in my knowledge about the rich culture of Indigenous Australia, but The Year the Maps Changed revealed another disturbing part of our past, of which I’d been unaware.

Racism is an unfortunate part of life in Australia, and with Fred’s young voice as a vehicle, Danielle Binks condemned the perpetrators and celebrated kindness, love and acceptance. There was also a mention of accessibility, when one of the refugees at the ‘safe haven’ couldn’t use the bathroom because the door wasn’t wide enough for her wheelchair. Intersectionality is everywhere, and inaccessibility and racism are everyone’s problem, not just disabled people or people of colour.

Diversity was an unquestionable part of Fred’s existence. Fred’s neighbour and best friend, Jed, was from Vietnam, and I adored how Vietnamese words, names and cuisine were woven seamlessly into the narrative. However, the father of one of Fred’s friends, Aidan, represented the racist attitudes that some people continue to hold. He voiced his disapproval of the Kosovar-Albanian refugees’ presence in Australia and Aidan was placed in the tricky situation of having to “be his own compass.” A young boy had to choose between what he knew was right and what his family believed, a predicament that felt far too familiar to me.

Small details of the story added up to create a nostalgic setting for readers who were alive in the 90’s and a brand new one for younger readers. Fred’s social life was dominated not by mobile devices and instant messages, but by outdoor adventures and an intimate knowledge of her neighbourhood and the people in it.

Place is an integral part of the novel, something I’ve rarely seen in middle grade novels. Not only was there a reverence for Sorrento and the surrounding areas, there was also, from the very first page, an acknowledgement that Australia always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I learnt that the Boon Wurrung people called the nearby mountain range Wonga, a fact that may be unfamiliar to other readers as well. The recurring image of maps and how they could lie showed Fred, and readers, that she could make her own map and was not defined by arbitrary borders or divisions. Arthurs Seat appeared several times and brought the plot and characters full circle: when Fred and her stepbrother, Sam, first rode together, Fred was angry and resentful. A year later, she was describing the landscape for Sam so that he could see what she did, even as he had his eyes shut.

My favourite line was: “This is how the world heals…One small act at a time.”

The Year the Maps Changed is an insightful novel, full of nuggets of wisdom and relatable characters, suitable for readers young and old.

You can purchase the book from independent store Farrells (which appeared in the novel!) here.

Win a copy of THROAT by Ellen van Neervan

[image error]

To celebrate the launch of Ellen van Neervan’s fantastic second collection of poetry, THROAT, just tell us in 25 words or less, why you need this title in your home library. Ellen which judge the winning answer on May 28, and I’ll post it out asap afterwards.

About Throat:

Throat is the explosive second poetry collection from award-winning Mununjali Yugambeh writer Ellen van Neerven. Exploring love, language and land, van Neerven flexes their distinctive muscles and shines a light on Australia’s unreconciled past and precarious present with humour and heart. Van Neerven is unsparing in the interrogation of colonial impulse, and fiercely loyal to telling the stories that make us who we are.

About Ellen:

Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning writer of Mununjali Yugambeh (South East Queensland) and Dutch heritage. They write fiction, poetry, plays and non-fiction. Ellen’s first book, Heat and Light, was the recipient of the David Unaipon Award, the Dobbie Literary Award and the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Indigenous Writers Prize. Ellen’s second book, a collection of poetry, Comfort Food, was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Kenneth Slessor Prize and highly commended for the 2016 Wesley Michel Wright Prize. Throat is Ellen’s highly anticipated second poetry collection.

You can also purchase Throat via Avid Reader here.

Media Release: Australian Book Industry Awards

[image error]

I am super excited about being a presenter at this year’s AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS on Wednesday 13th May 14 at 4pm. It’s going to be a FANTASTIC moment in Australian literature.

The media release announcing the 2020 Awards Shortlist and 2020 Hall of Fame Awards follow.

The Australian Publishers Association is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2020 Australian Book Industry Awards. From this shortlist, the category winners and the overall ‘Book of the Year’ winner will be announced at the premier event on the Australian book industry calendar. The 2020 AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS will be a special Virtual Awards Event that will stream LIVE on YouTube on Wednesday 13th May at 4:00pm.

The 2020 ABIAs, hosted by Casey Bennetto, promises to be a star-studded broadcast featuring among others Judy Nunn, Leigh Sales, Anita Heiss, Julia Gillard, Kate Ritchie, Richard Harris and Michael O’Loughlin, along with many of Australia’s finest authors nominated for awards on the evening. There will also be a very special performance from author singer songwriter CLARE BOWDITCH.

Of special note today is the announcement of the two Hall of Fame Awards, Helen Garner as the recipient of the Lloyd O’Neil Award for outstanding contribution to the industry and Erica Wagner as the recipient of the Pixie O’Harris Award for consistent contribution to Children’s Literature. Both have contributed a lifetime of outstanding work to the Industry and will be recognised on the evening. Both Helen and Erica will be available for interviews prior to the evening for those keen to do so.

Also recognising the importance of encouragement and development within the industry the ABIAs are proud to announce Hazel Lam from Harper Collins as the recipient of the 2020 Rising Star Award.

Join us online as we celebrate the achievements of authors, publishers, editors, illustrators, designers, publicists, and marketers, as our esteemed celebrity guests present the nominations for over 19 Book, Audiobook and Business Awards which are celebrated each year. The ABIAs showcase the collaborative efforts of authors and industry professionals who bring quality books to readers in both Australia and around the world. The move to digital will enable thousands across the globe to experience the ABIAs in a brand-new way.

TO WATCH THE 2020 ABIA AWARDS, CLICK HERE NOW AND SUBSCRIBE

The Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABIAwards/

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaTI7ddPINs6FkoZU9iWTSg

#ABIA2020

@ABIA_Awards

#AustraliaReadsAtHome

For further information and media inquiries, please contact:

Brendan Fredericks | BFredericksPR | 0403 265 337 | brendan@bfrederickspr.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABIA 2020 Book Award Shortlist

The 2020 shortlist includes some of the biggest names in the Australian book industry (which publishes over 7,000 new books annually) and this year’s list is a top-shelf showcase of high profile authors and amazing new talent. The shortlist finalises the titles, publishers and authors in the running for the 2020 ABIAs. And what a list it is! Check it out below.

The ABIA Voting Academy is made up of over 250 representatives from across the bookselling and publishing industry as well as additional specialist experts. Following the announcement of the shortlist, a series of expert panels decide on the winner in each category.

Without further ado, this year’s list (www.abiawards.com.au)

Audiobook of the Year

Fake: A Startling True Story of Love in a World of Liars, Cheats, Narcissists, Fantasists and Phonies, by Stephanie Wood (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin Random House Australia Audio) Narrated by Claudia Karvan
No Friend But the Mountains, by Behrouz Boochani (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia Audio) Narrated by: Omid Tofighian, Isobelle Carmody, Janet Galbraith, Mathilda Imlah, Geoffrey Robertson, Richard Flanagan, Sarah Dale, Thomas Keneally, Yumi Stynes
The Resilience Project: Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness, by Hugh Van Cuylenburg (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin Random House Australia Audio) Narrated by Hugh Van Cuylenburg
The Yield, by Tara June Winch (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin Random House Australia Audio) Narrated by Tony Briggs
Your Own Kind of Girl, by Clare Bowditch (Audible Australia, Audible Studios) Narrated by Clare Bowditch

 

Biography Book of the Year

Born-Again Blakfella, Jack Charles (Penguin Random House Australia, Viking)
Tell Me Why, Archie Roach (Simon & Schuster Australia, Simon & Schuster)
The Prettiest Horse In The Glue Factory, Corey White (Penguin Random House Australia, Hamish Hamilton)
When All is Said & Done, Neale Daniher, with Warwick Green (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia)
Your Own Kind of Girl, Clare Bowditch (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)

 

Book Retailer of the Year

Booktopia
Dymocks
Harry Hartog Bookseller
QBD Books
Readings

 

Bookshop of the Year:

Books Kinokuniya (Sydney)
Fullers Bookshop (Hobart)
Mary Martin Bookshop (Port Melbourne)
Readings Carlton (Melbourne)
Riverbend Books (Brisbane)

 

Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+)

Detention, Tristan Bancks (Penguin Random House Australia, Puffin)
It Sounded Better in My Head, Nina Kenwood (Text Publishing, Text Publishing)
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling, Wai Chim (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
Welcome to Country Youth Edition, Marcia Langton (Hardie Grant Publishing, Hardie Grant Travel)
Welcome To Your Period, Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang (Hardie Grant Egmont, Hardie Grant Egmont)

 

Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7-12)

Funny Bones, Edited by Kate Temple, Jol Temple and Oliver Phommavanh (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
Real Pigeons Nest Hard, Written by Andrew McDonald, Illustrated by Ben Wood (Hardie Grant Egmont, Hardie Grant Egmont)
The 117-Storey Treehouse, Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton (Pan Macmillan Australia, Pan Australia)
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals, Sami Bayly (Hachette Australia, Lothian Children’s Books)
Young Dark Emu, Bruce Pascoe (Magabala Books, Magabala Books)

 

Children’s Picture Book of the Year (ages 0-6)

All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors, Davina Bell and Jenny Løvlie (Hardie Grant Egmont, Little Hare)
Bluey: The Beach, Ludo Studio, BBC Studios and Penguin Random House Australia (Penguin Random House Australia, Puffin)
Mr Chicken All Over Australia, Leigh Hobbs (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
The Tiny Star, Mem Fox and Freya Blackwood (Penguin Random House Australia, Puffin)
Wilam, Andrew Kelly, Aunty Joy Murphy, Lisa Kennedy (Walker Books Australia, Black Dog Books)

 

General Fiction Book of the Year

Bruny, Heather Rose (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
Cilka’s Journey, Heather Morris (Echo Publishing, Echo Publishing)
Good Girl, Bad Girl, Michael Robotham (Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
Silver, Chris Hammer (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
The Scholar, Dervla McTiernan (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)

 

General Non-fiction Book of the Year

Against All Odds, Craig Challen and Richard Harris (Penguin Random House Australia, Viking)
Banking Bad, Adele Ferguson (HarperCollins Publishers, ABC Books)
Fake, Stephanie Wood (Penguin Random House Australia, Vintage Australia)
Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life, Kitty Flanagan (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Abuse, Jess Hill (Black Inc., Black Inc.)

 

Illustrated Book of the Year

Australia Modern: Architecture, Landscape & Design 1925–1975, Hannah Lewi and Philip Goad (Thames & Hudson Australia, Thames & Hudson Australia)
Ben Quilty, Ben Quilty (Penguin Random House Australia, Lantern Australia)
The Lost Boys: The untold stories of the under-age soldiers who fought in the First World War, Paul Byrnes (Affirm Press, Affirm Press)
The Whole Fish Cookbook, Josh Niland (Hardie Grant Publishing, Hardie Grant Books)
Three Birds Renovations, Erin Cayless, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor (Murdoch Books, Murdoch Books)

 

International Book of the Year

Fleishman is in Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Hachette Australia, Wildfire)
The Dutch House, Ann Patchett, (Bloomsbury Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing)
The Testaments, Margaret Atwood (Penguin Random House Australia, Chatto & Windus)
Three Women, Lisa Taddeo (Bloomsbury Publishing, Bloomsbury Circus)
Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens (Hachette Australia, Corsair)

 

Literary Fiction Book of the Year

Damascus, Christos Tsiolkas (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
The Weekend, Charlotte Wood (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
The Yield, Tara June Winch (Penguin Random House Australia, Hamish Hamilton)
There Was Still Love, Favel Parrett (Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
Wolfe Island, Lucy Treloar (Pan Macmillan Australia, Picador Australia)

 

Publisher of the Year

Allen & Unwin
Hachette Australia
Penguin Random House Australia

 

Small Publisher of the Year

Magabala Books
NewSouth Publishing
University of Queensland Press

 

Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year

Feeding the Birds at Your Table: A guide for Australia, Darryl Jones (NewSouth Publishing NewSouth)
Kindred, Kirli Saunders (Magabala Books, Magabala Books)
Paris Savages, Katherine Johnson (Ventura Press, Ventura Press)
Sand Talk, Tyson Yunkaporta (Text Publishing, Text Publishing)
The White Girl, Tony Birch (University of Queensland Press, University of Queensland Press)

 

Small Publishers’ Children’s Book of the Year

Little Bird’s Day, Written by Sally Morgan, Illustrated by Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr (Magabala Books, Magabala Books)
Love Your Body, written by Jessica Sanders, illustrated by Carol Rossetti (Five Mile, Five Mile)
Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street, Felicita Sala (Scribe Publications, Scribble)
Sick Bay, Nova Weetman (University of Queensland Press, University of Queensland Press)
You Can Change the World: The Kids’ Guide to a Better Planet, Lucy Bell (Pantera Press, Pantera Press)

 

The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year

Being Black ‘n Chicken, and Chips, Matt Okine (Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
Call Me Evie, J.P. Pomare (Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
It Sounded Better in My Head, Nina Kenwood (Text Publishing, Text Publishing)
Sand Talk, Tyson Yunkaporta (Text Publishing, Text Publishing)
Your Own Kind of Girl, Clare Bowditch (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)

 

Keep up with all your ABIA 2020 news at:

Abiawards.com.au

#ABIA2020

#AustraliaReadsAtHome

Twitter @ABIA_Awards

Instagram @ABIA_Awards

Facebook ABIA Awards

 

ABIA would like to thank our valued sponsors — JC Decaux, Borrow Box, Media Super, Ovato,

Booktopia, Better Reading, Nielsen Bookscan, Simpsons Solicitors, Puffin Books, Fane, The Copyright Agency,Thames and Hudson, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Ingram, Lightning Source, Books + Publishing, HarperCollins Publishers Australia, and John Fisher Printing.